1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a frame connecting member and a light emitting diode (LED) lighting apparatus fabricated by using the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
A various kinds of lighting apparatus are used to provide a light or illuminate an object in an indoor or outdoor environment. The lighting apparatus is supplied with a power and converts an electric energy of the power to a light energy. Thus, a light is irradiated to an object by the lighting apparatus. In general, an incandescent lamp or a fluorescent lamp is used in the lighting apparatus.
The incandescent lamp or the fluorescent lamp has some disadvantages in that the incandescent lamp or the fluorescent lamp has a higher power consumption and produces heat. Also, the incandescent lamp or the fluorescent lamp has a relatively short life cycle so that the incandescent lamp or the fluorescent lamp needs to be replaced in approximately every six months. Moreover, in case of the fluorescent lamp which contains mercury, the use of the fluorescent lamp is restricted and required to be complied with certain regulations. Also, since the fluorescent lamp flickers, the eye is caused to feel fatigue easily, which weakens a user's eye sight. Further, the fluorescent lamp requires a large installation space and the installation and color control thereof is difficult.
To solve the above problem, a lighting apparatus using a light emitted diode (LED) as a light source has been introduced. The LED lighting apparatus includes a substrate on which the LED light source is mounted and a diffusion plate that is arranged parallel to the substrate. The substrate and the diffusion plate are received within a frame that can be formed in various materials such as metal, wood or plastic to provide a single apparatus.
However, in the conventional lighting apparatus frame, a light can leak out from an edge portion, which is a joint area between the frame members. Also, a structural problem can be caused such as, for example, the bonding between the frame members becomes weak during usage, the frame member becomes detached from the lighting apparatus frame, or the joint area between the frame members becomes distorted due to mismatch.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is retained or acquired by the inventor in an effort to realize the object of the invention, and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known to the public.